If You’re Trying To Be Unique, You Might Be Trying Too Hard
Gary Ewer of Essential Secrets of Songwriting
One of the best contemporary examples of what I’m describing is found in some of the music of American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, and in particular, “Futile Devices” from his 2010 album “The Age of Adz”.
Much of the song revolves around two chords: F#m7 – B and the key appears to be modal: F# dorian. The scale for F# dorian uses the notes F# G# A B C# D# E. The melodies are of a simple, diatonic (i.e., using notes from the song’s key) construction. You might think that it’s hard, or perhaps even impossible, to create music that can be unique while using such simple elements. But it’s how those elements are used and mingled together that creates this beautifully unique piece of music.
In particular, here are some ideas for making simple music sound much more complex than it really is, all demonstrated in “Futile Devices”:
In chord progressions, highlight a chord’s added tones.
Use altered versions of chords within a simple progression.
Minimize the instrumentation as much as possible.
Keep the melody simple, but give it some contour. Create a melodic line that makes good use of repetition, displaying a nice balance between upward and downward motion.
Consider switching the tonal focus from minor to major at some important structural point within the song.
Keep the message of your song simple, and don’t feel compelled to tell all.